2008 World Series of Poker

Event 3 - $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info

2008 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q4
Prize
$214,131
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Entries
713
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
0

Level: 18

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 0

Sling a Chop on the Barbi

Al-as, Al-ack
Al-as, Al-ack
Poor old Al Barbieri. Fairly shortly after losing that monstrous pot, Barbieri found himself dropping a few more chips -- he called Russ Harriman's 35,000 cutoff raise from the big blind, but then laid it down with a sigh to Harriman's swift all-in on the {3-Diamonds} {Q-Spades} {A-Clubs} flop.

Down to just 45,000, Barbieri bet pot from the cutoff, leaving himself just a few thousand behind. Robert Lipkin on the big blind put him in, and there was much mirth (although with a slightly sad edge to it for Barbieri) all round when Barbieri turned over the {A-Clubs} {7-Diamonds} and Lipkin the {A-Diamonds} {7-Clubs}. A rainbow flop later and they were chopping the pot.

Tags: Al Barbieri

Gregory Alston Elim... No, Hold On!

And within just a few moments it appeared as though we would be losing our second soldier from the battlefield, Gregory Alston reraising Al Barbieri's initial late-position raise before calling the subsequent all-in.

Alston could sense he was behind, and his gut instinct was right, with his {J-Hearts}{J-Clubs} in need of some divine intervention to successfully tackle Barbieri's {Q-Spades}{Q-Hearts}.

However, Alston has clearly been saying his prayers and taking his vitamins as the the board was a kind one, the {8-Spades}{5-Clubs}{7-Clubs} flop being followed by a {J-Diamonds} turn even though Alston had specifically requested the {9-Clubs}.

As Alston jumped in the air in delight, a dejected Barbieri took the hit well and just scrunched up his face slightly as the dealer dealt out an uneventful {9-Clubs} river.

"I'm not normally this lucky," gleamed an ecstatic Alston as parts of the crowd shared in his delight.

Tags: Al BarbieriGregory Alston

Glen Bean Eliminated in 9th Place for $19,464

It's bean emotional
It's bean emotional
'Has-bean', 'Mr Bean's Holiday', 'Bean and Gone' -- however you want to put it, a short-stacked Glen Bean has finally departed after grinding like no man has ever ground (or is that grinded?) before.

Calling all in from the big blind for a total of 21,000 after a preflop raise of 24,000 from Zachary King, Glen Bean seemed in confident spirits when he revealed a {J-Hearts}{8-Clubs} to King's superior {A-Hearts}{Q-Hearts}, claiming "I'm going to win this one."

And his prediction wasn't too far from being realized, a pair on a {9-Clubs}{8-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} board looking like the winning hand, until the river delivered a heart-stopping {A-Clubs}.

A polite applause from the rail met Bean's exit, as the youngster congratulated his triumphant opponent and quietly left the table.

And then there were eight.

Tags: Glen BeanZachary King

Rockets Fail to Launch for Alston

Alston makes it 33,000 from middle position, and Fernandez in the big blind dwells for a little while, then calls.

The flop comes a draw-tastic {7-Diamonds} {6-Spades} {8-Spades} and Fernandez checks. Alston bets 47,000. Fernandez dwells up again. "If you raise me here, buddy, you're getting a call!" says Alston cheerfully. Fernandez pushes forward a huge stack of orange 5,000 chips. In disgust, Alston folds his cards face up. They are {A-Hearts} {A-Spades}.

Tags: Gregory Alston

Jacks for King

"Nein!"
"Nein!"
With all nine players still remaining, the action is so tense that if Elvis waltzed in donning nothing but a transparent thong, I doubt anyone would even bat an eyelid.

Although I initially thought that players were awaiting the exit of short-stacked Glen Bean, whose 25,000 stack is looking very vulnerable indeed with blinds of 5,000 and 10,000, we stumbled upon an all-in, courtesy of Russ Harriman and Zachary King.

With Harriman making his second consecutive preflop raise (this time 28,000), King pushed over-the-top for a 64,000 more, bowed his head and awaited his opponent's response.

Harriman quickly made the call and showed {9-Clubs}{9-Hearts}, but was dismayed to find he was looking for one of two outs to topple King's dominant {J-Clubs}{J-Diamonds}.

However, with the board coming a harmless {7-Diamonds}{A-Hearts}{K-Spades}{2-Spades}{3-Diamonds}, that event didn't occur and we stay on nine.

Tags: Russ HarrimanZachary King

Alston In

And almost as soon as he'd got that huge stack, David Singer gave some of it right back.

Gregory Alston, still visibly reeling a little from doubling Singer up before the break, made it 27,000 from the button, and looked incredibly irked when none other than Singer called from the big blind.

They both checked the {9-Hearts} {A-Clubs} {4-Spades} flop, Alston blinking furiously. The turn came the {J-Diamonds} and now Singer bet out 27,000. Alston thought about it for a while, looking considerably stressed, and then announced all in. There was a brief argument between the dealer, the floor man and Alston regarding whether his all in was within the pot limit. It was. During this time, Singer remained motionless, sunglasses on, thinking. Eventually, the disagreement resolved and all eyes back on him, he silently passed.

Singer back down to a still respectable 280,000, Alston back to 210,000 or so.

Tags: David SingerGregory Alston

Minor Recovery for Tehan

Joe Tehan has made a minor recovery since clashing with Al Barbieri. Raising it up to 12,000 from the big blind, he was called in the small by Russ Harriman and both players saw a {4-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{7-Hearts} flop. Check, check on the {J-Diamonds} turn, before Russ check-called Tehan's 30,000 bet on the {7-Spades} river, albeit it after offering him the most piercing of glares.

As Tehan showed {J-Diamonds}{10-Spades} for top pair, Harriman nodded in defeat and mucked his hand.

Tags: Joe TehanRussell Harriman

Level: 17

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 0

Singer Back up There

Two double-ups in four hands for David Singer sees him leap from second-last place to just straight up second in terms of chips.

The first double-up came courtesy of Gregory Alston. Alston raised preflop from early position and Singer called from middle position. Alston bet 70,000 on the {3-Clubs} {5-Diamonds} {Q-Spades} flop, roughly to cover Singer, who delightedly announced himself all in anyway. There was clear pain on Alston's face as Singer turned over {A-Hearts} {Q-Clubs}, and he muttered, "I didn't think you'd call with that," as he turned over his now-dominated {J-Clubs} {J-Diamonds}. No help for Alston from the {10-Hearts} turn or {3-Diamonds} river, and Singer was very much back in the running with 160,000, while Alston dropped to around 180,000.

A couple of hands later, during which first Robert Lipkin and then Jacobo Fernandez (who's been very quiet so far today for such a big stack) took down the blinds uncontested with late-position raises, and Singer was back in it, this time raising 22,000 under the gun. Al Barbieri flat-called from the button, looking slightly tense. Nevertheless he insta-called Singer's 40,000 bet on the {2-Spades} {3-Spades} {Q-Hearts} flop, and further insta-called Singer's all-in bet on the {8-Diamonds} turn. He was expressionless when he turned over {K-Hearts} {Q-Spades} and discovered that he was very far behind Singer's {A-Diamonds} {A-Spades} The {A-Hearts} on the river didn't change a thing, although it presumably was a thing of great beauty in the eyes of Singer. He is now on 320,000, with only Fernandez ahead of him in chips.

Tags: David Singer